1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data backup technique, and more particularly to a data auto backup system and method that can automatically backup data from an external storage device to a computer system white the computer system is in its power off state.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development of computer technology, more and more information is generated and needs to be stored for retrieval. To store generated information, many different kinds of external storage devices have appeared on the market such as CD players and mp3 players. As the “digital home” proposed by Microsoft and similar concepts becomes popular, computers and home media appliances are rapidly merging. For example, computers systems have come to market that can perform multimedia functions (playing, recording, and so on) without the need of running an operation system, replacing the need for traditional single-function home appliances such as CD players, VCD players, and DVD players. Such devices provide the functionality of a general-purpose computer system when the system is fully up and running an operating system with the convenience of a dedicated instant-on appliance such as a television or DVD player.
Moreover, people increasingly want to connect and utilize other kinds of storage devices such as cameras in such a quick and convenient manner. In particular, it would be convenient to be able to quickly backup the data of an external storage device to a computer system. However, in order to backup data from the memory of an external storage device to a computer, the computer must first be booted up and running an operating system. Thereafter, data from the memory of the external device can be copied to a directory of the computer, either manually, attended by the user, or automatically. However, such a method is rather inconvenient in that it forces the user to wait for the computer to boot up and run the operating system regardless of whether the user wants to access the general functionality that the computer provides.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a data auto backup technique that can be applied to a computer system to solve the drawback of the above-described conventional technology, so as to further increase the functionality of the computer.